An American Soldier

Friends;

It's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegone. or actually at COB Speicher, IRAQ. My travel plans had originally included one last trip to FOB Marez but such a trip was not necessary since our chapel is being packed up and sent down here. Without travel my life has settled down to a routine but that will go away as I will be traveling to Al Udeid this weekend for a meeting with the senior leaders of the deployment. I am posting a picture of my last trip, I am wearing my IBA (vest-helmet etc.) and am riding in a C-17 which is a luxury liner here in Iraq.

I am putting a course together for the deployed military members I serve. It is called, "Non-Violent Communication" and was created by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg. It is a wonderful model for communication and I am hoping it will be helpful for those who are deployed here. I used this model for my "Practicing Peace" course I offered during lent last spring in Wichita.

A high point of my deployment so far was a concert we had last night here in our little Red Horse Compound. It was a hot dusty night, with helicopters flying in the distance and the 101st Airborne Stag Band played for us for about 2 hours. It was so refreshing. I am able to see now how refreshed our troops are by USO tours. It gives you a taste of home. The band is only here another 2 weeks and they are headed for home. The Army stays deployed for one year so they are ready to go. One of the songs they sang was deeply moving to me. Here are the lyrics:

Artist/Band: Keith Toby
Lyrics for Song: American Soldier
Lyrics for Album: Shock'n Y'all
(Toby Keith/Chuck Cannon)

I'm just tryin' to be a father, raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother, everythin' to everyone
Up and at 'em bright and early, I'm all business in my suit
Yeah I'm dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots
I don't do it for money, there's bills I that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory, I just do it anyway
Providing for our future's, my responsibility
Yeah I'm real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can't call in sick on Mondays when the weekend's been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door
Hey I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey I'm true down to the core.
And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don't want to die for you, but if dyin's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don't come free.
I'm an American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I'm and American, Soldier.
An American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I'm and American, an American, an American, Soldier.

It struck me as I heard this song that we are here with the army. We work with them, we eat with them and last night they entertained us. The dusty duty we perform is for the well being of our nation and our world. Many said to me before I deployed, I don't agree with our being in Iraq but I support you. Such sentiment rings hollow for me. I live to support a cause and I have seen what Americans are doing over here. It is not just combat operations, it is nation building. If we do not prevail here, do you think radical Islam will leave us alone? Do you think they will say, okay, they left, now we can all live in peace. Or will they see it as a victory and move all the more swiftly to carry the fight to our home shores? They are determined, remember the flights form England to the US that we planned to undermine our engagement here. The magnificent isolation of our nation is no longer an option. We live in a world where a few are able to use technology to impose their will on the majority.

GOD bless you all and GOD bless the young Americans deployed to this Area of Operations, GOD bless their families and their communities!